Lapel holder



Sept. 13, 1966 Fig./

C. MILLER LAPEL HOLDER Filed Oct. 19, 1965 Car/0s Mil/er INVENTORI.

United States Patent 3,272,409 LAPEL HGLDER Carlos Miller, Nogales, Ariz., assignor of ten percent to Stanley Capin, Nogales, Ariz. Filed Get. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 497,747 8 Claims. (Cl. 223-84) This invention relates to a novel and useful lapel holder and more specifically to an apparatus designed to prevent the lapel portions of suit jackets and the like from becoming rumpled or creased in an undesirable manner while the suit jacket or the like is packed in a suitcase or similar clothes container.

Although the lapel holder of the instant invention may be used most advantageously on suits coats or jackets and the like which are packed in storage containers such as trunks and suitcases, it is to be noted that the lapel holder may also be utilized to prevent the lapel portions of suit coats and jackets from becoming creased in an undesirable manner while the suit coats or jackets are hung in closets or garment bags.

The lapel holder of the instant invention includes a pair of lapel backing and anchoring members which are elongated and adapted to underlie the lapel portions of a suit jacket or the like. The backing members are disposed in generally side-by-side relation with one pair of corresponding ends thereof closely adjacent each other and the other ends thereof spaced further apart so that the members are divergent toward the said other ends, and form a generally V-shaped assemblage adapted to correspond to the V-shaped opening defined between the lower ends of the adjacent edges of the associated lapels. Means is provided for interconnecting the closely adjacent ends of the backing members and the remote ends of the backing members are provided with means adapted to engage and removably secure the associated lapels to the backing members.

The main object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which will be capable of engaging and supporting the lapels of a suit jacket or coat in a manner so as to maintain the lapels in a straight condition while the suit jacket or coat is packed in a clothes container or hung in a closet or garment bag.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lapel holder in accordance with the immediately preceding object and constructed in a manner whereby the lapel holder is adapted to be utilized in connection with substantially all sizes of lapels.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a lapel holder including means by which the rolls in the material of a suit jacket or coat immediately adjacent the lower ends of the lapels of the suit jacket or coat may be maintained in a smoothly curved condition thereby enabling the lower ends of the lapels of a suit jacket or coat to curve smoothly into the material of the adjacent portions of the front of the coat or jacket.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a lapel holder in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long-lasting and relatively troublefree in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a fragmentary portion of a suit coat or jacket shown with the lapel holder of the instant invention operatively associated therewith;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the lapel holder as seen from the plane designated by the section line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIG. 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of suit jacket or coat including opposite side front portions 12 and 14 which are releasably secured together by means of a button 16 immediately below the lower ends of a pair of lapels 18 and 20 secured to the front portions 12 and 14, respectively.

The lapel holder of the instant invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 22 and includes a pair of elongated backing and anchoring members 24 and 26 which are generally tubular in configuration and disposed in side-by-side relation. One pair of ends of the anchoring members 24 and 26 are disposed closely adjacent each other and interconnected by means of an arcuate flexible and resilient member 30. The other pair of ends of the anchoring members 24 and 26 are spaced further apart so that the backing and anchoring members are divergent toward the ends thereof remote from the member 30 and disposed to form a generally V-shaped assemblage adapted to correspond to the V-shaped opening defined between the lower ends of the adjacent edges 18 and 20' of the lapels 18 and 2d.

The member 30 is constructed of flexible but resilient material such as metal and is secured to the backing and anchoring members 24 and 26 in any convenient manner such as by metal fusing 32. In addition, the resiliency of the member 30 normally urges the lower ends of the backing and anchoring members 24 and 26 toward engagement with each other as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Each of the backing and anchoring members is generally tubular in configuration with the lower ends thereof being oval in cross section and the backing and anchoring members slowly tapering toward flattened conditions at their upper ends generally rectangular in cross section.

From FIG. 3 of the drawings it may be seen that the lower ends of the lapels 18 and 20 adjacent the button 16 curve smoothly about the oval lower end portions of the backing and anchoring members 24 and 26 into the opposite side front portions 12 and 14, respectively, of the jacket 10. In this manner, the lower ends of the lapels 18 and 20 are held in position so as to curve smoothly into the adjacent portions of the jacket. However, the upper ends of the backing and anchoring members 24 and 26, by being flattened, from a sharper crease between the material of the opposite side front portions 12 and 14 and the lapels 18 and 20 as the lapels 18 and 20' approach the neckband portion of the jacket 10.

The upper flattened ends of the backing and anchoring members 24 and 26 have pairs of generally C-shaped spring arms 34 and 36 secured thereto with one pair of corresponding legs of each pair of arms 34 being secured to the back of the adjacent portion of the corresponding backing and anchoring member in any convenient manner such as by metal fusing. The other pair of corresponding arms of each pair of C-shaped members 34 and 36 has a substantially panel-like brace 38 secured therebetween which is frictionally urged into frictional engagement with the confronting portions of the corresponding backing and anchoring member by means of the resiliency of the C-shaped arms 34 and 36, the con- 9 fronting surface portions of each brace 38 and the corresponding backing and anchoring member being knurled or otherwise roughened if desired for gripping an article therebetween. Of course, the panel-like braces 38 frictionally grip the associated lapels 18 and 20 between the panel-like braces 38 and the opposing portions of the backing and anchoring members 24 and 26. In this manner, the lapels 18 and 20 are suitably anchored to the lapels 18 and 20 and the resiliency of the member 30 pulls the lower ends of the lapels 18 and 20 together toward the position illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

In operation, it may be seen that the lapel holder 22 may be readily engaged with the lapcls of an associated suit coat or jacket. Further, the lapel holder, by being supported from the lapels of the associated suit coat or jacket has a tendency to maintain the neckband portion 42 in a straightened and properly orientated position when the jacket 10 is supported from a hanger and the resiliency of the member 30 pulls the lower ends of the lapels 18 and 20 together as desired. The general configuration of the backing and anchoring members 24 and 26 insures that the desired rolls between the front portions 12 and 14 of the jacket 10 and the lower ends of the lapels 18 and 20 are maintained. Therefore, it may be seen that the lapel holder 22 may be useful not only to maintain the lapels 18 and 20 of the jacket 10 in their proper uncreased and unrurnpled state but that the lapel holder 22 may also be utilized to properly position and partially stretch rumpled and otherwise disarranged lapels when the corresponding suit jackets are hung on hangers in order that any rumpled condition of lapcls or unwanted creases in lapels may be at least partially eliminated while the associated suit jacket or coat is hanging between usages thereof.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A lapel holder comprising a pair of elongated lapel backing and anchoring members adapted to underlie the lapel portions of a suit jacket orthe like, said members being disposed in generally side-by-side relation with one pair of corresponding end portions thereof closely adjacent each other and the other pair of corresponding end portions spaced further apart so that said members are divergent toward said other end portions thereof and form a generally V-shaped assemblage adapted to correspond to the V-shaped opening defined between the lower ends of the adjacent edges of said lapel portions and have said lapel portions lapped thereover, means interconnecting said one pair of end portions of said members, said other pair of end portions of said members including individual elongated panel-like members supported from said anchoring members and extending longitudinally thereof, overlying the upper surfaces of said anchoring members, and biased toward frictional en gagement with said upper surfaces so as to be adapted to clampingly secure said lapel portions between said upper surfaces and said panel-like members.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting said one pair of ends comprises an elongated flexible member operatively connected to and extending between said one pair of end portions.

3. A lapel holder comprising a pair of elongated lapel backing and anchoring members adapted to underlie the i lapel portions of a suit jacket or the like, said members being disposed in generally side-by-side relation with one pair of corresponding end portions thereof closely adjacent each other and the other pair of corresponding end portions spaced further apart so that said members are divergent toward the other end portions thereof and form a generally V-shaped assemblage adapted to corre-- spond to the V-shaped opening defined between the lower ends of the adjacent edges of said lapel portions and have said lapel portions lapped thereover, means interconnecting said one pair of end portions of said members, the other pair of end portions of said members remote from said one pair of end portions including means adapted to engage and removably secure said lapel to said members, said means interconnecting said one pair of ends comprising an elongated flexible member operatively connected to and extending between said one pair of end portions, said elongated flexible member comprising a length of resilient wire arranged to form a generally C-shaped connecting member opening toward said other pair of ends of said members.

4. The combination of claim ll wherein said backing and anchoring members include adjacent portions at said one pair of end portions which are arcuate in transverse cross section and open away from each other.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said adjacent end portions of said backing and anchoring members are gradually flattened toward said other end portions thereof.

6. A lapel holder comprising a pair of elongated lapel backing and anchoring members adapted to underlie the lapel portions of a suit jacket or the like, said members being disposed in generally side-by-side relation with one pair of corresponding end portions thereof closely adjacent each other and the other pair of corresponding end portions spaced further apart so that said members are divergent toward said other end portions thereof and form a generally V-shaped assemblage adapted to correspond to the V-shaped opening defined between the lower ends of the adjacent edges of said lapel portions and have said lapel portions lapped thereover, means interconnecting said one pair of end portions of said members, said other pair of end portions of said members remote from said one pair of end portions including means adapted to engage and removably secure said lapel portions to said members comprising generally 0 shaped spring clamp assemblies secured to said members and adapted to embrace the adjacent free edge portions of said lapel portions and frictionally clamp said free edge portions to said members.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said means interconnecting said one pair of ends comprises an elongated flexible member operatively connected to and extending between said one pair of ends.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said elongated flexible member comprises a length of resilient wire arranged to form a generally C-shaped connecting member opening toward said other pair of ends of said members.

References ited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,092,253 9/1937 Hogan 223-71 2,206,161 7/1940 Cherne 223-84 2,719,657 10/1955 Allen et al. 22384 3,072,306 1/1963 Macrides 22384 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LAPEL HOLDER COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED LAPEL BACKING AND ANCHORING MEMBERS ADAPTED TO UNDERLIE THE LAPEL PORTIONS OF A SUIT JACKET OR THE LIKE, SAID MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED IN GENERALLY SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION WITH ONE PAIR OF CORRESPONDING END PORTIONS THEREOF CLOSELY ADJACENT EACH OTHER AND THE OTHER PAIR CORRESPONDING END PORTIONS SPACED FURTHER APART SO THAT SAID MEMBERS ARE DIVERGENT TOWARD SAID OTHER END PORTIONS THEREOF AND FORM A GENERALLY V-SHAPED ASSEMBLAGE ADAPTED TO CORRESPOND TO THE V-SHAPED OPENING DEFINED BETWEEN THE LOWER ENDS OF THE ADJACENT EDGES OF SAID LAPEL PORTIONS AND HAVE SAID LAPEL PORTIONS LAPPED THEREOVER, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID ONE PAIR OF END PORTIONS OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID OTHER PAIR OF END PORTIONS OF SAID MEMBERS INCLUDING INDIVIDUAL ELONGATED PANEL-LIKE MEMBERS SUPPORTED FROMS AID ANCHORING MEMBERS AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, OVERLYING THE UPPER SURFACES OF SAID ANCHORING MEMBERS, AND BIASED TOWARD FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID UPPER SURFACES SO AS TO BE ADAPTED TO CLAMPINGLY SECURE SAID LAPEL PORTIONS BETWEEN SAID UPPER SURFACES AND SAID PANEL-LIKE MEMBERS. 